92 Cutlass Ciera AC questions

3.3 V6 140,000 miles

A/C clutch doesn't engage, what would cause this? I've never reallly worked with ACs before and the manual only warns me not to do anything until its been discharged.

Wires to the AC compressor look fine, where should I start?

I was going to buy a recharge kit for it, but it said the AC compressor must be on when i recharge it..

thanks

First, check the fuse and the 12 volts to the A/C clutch relay and clutch coil. If you are low on refrigerant or there is a leak the HVAC system has a pressure switch that detects the charge level. If low or below the threshold the compressor will not cycle. Pressure is checked at the low side port.

If confirmed low, slowly start adding refrigerant until compressor starts cycling. It may take a while so you have to be patient. On some GM models you can jump the pressure switch to get the compressor to turn on and then add refrigeant.

First, check the fuse and the 12 volts to the A/C clutch relay and clutch coil. If you are low on refrigerant or there is a leak the HVAC system has a pressure switch that detects the charge level. If low or below the threshold the compressor will not cycle. Pressure is checked at the low side port.

If confirmed low, slowly start adding refrigerant until compressor starts cycling. It may take a while so you have to be patient. On some GM models you can jump the pressure switch to get the compressor to turn on and then add refrigeant.
Bob, keep in mind this is a r12 system, he probably cannot get freon here without a conversion.

Bob, keep in mind this is a r12 system, he probably cannot get freon here without a conversion.

Good point Shep. I know 1993 was the cutoff year when the EPA required all cars in the US to be delivered with R134a systems over R12. Depending on when the car was made in the production year GM delivered some 1992 models with R134a and the Harrison V5 compressor versus the H6.

The troubleshooting technique is still basically the same. His problem will be getting it recharged if he has a R12 system. Manufacture of R12 may have been stopped but it is still available to licensed AC Techs. I can get R12 right across the border any day of the week.

The other possibility is he had a conversion from R12 to R134a already done or plans on using Freeze-12 but we won't know that until he weighs-in and what state he lives in.

Bob, yup on all, but I have not seen to date a 92 GM car with 134, cutoff mandatory was 94 model year I believe, actual production summer 93 of course and yes some Mfg's beat the cutoff , but 92 I don't think so, we'll see.

im not sure how 2 fix it like these guys .. but i can tell u a easy way 2 prevent it from happening agian .. and none of my freinds belive me when i say this ... when u turn off ur car and get out make sure that .. u turn of ur ac as well .. becuase when u turn your car back on .. its bad on ur engine as well as the compressor .. wicth will eventually make it go out sooner than expected ..

im not sure how 2 fix it like these guys .. but i can tell u a easy way 2 prevent it from happening agian .. and none of my freinds belive me when i say this ... when u turn off ur car and get out make sure that .. u turn of ur ac as well .. becuase when u turn your car back on .. its bad on ur engine as well as the compressor .. wicth will eventually make it go out sooner than expected ..
Welcome to AF, but I must say that is false anecdotal info someone passed along to you regarding leaving the ac on during start up. No problem with that process.

i completely forgot about that. it is rc12. plus theres an ac-line up against a tranny cooling line so its starting to melt. how much would a shop charge for conversion and what needs to be replaced? I live in Massachusetts and they only sell r134a..

Google r134 conversion, tons of info out there, there are cheap conversions that usually don't hold up and there are full line conversions that will work very well, cost $125-1,000!